Yuka You-Ri Yamanaka

Yuka trained at LAMDA and Ecole Philippe Gaulier (Le Coq) in the U.K. and in Kabuki dance and avant-garde Japanese dance (Butoh) in Japan. Yuka has excellent movement skills and soprano voice, plays various musical instruments such as piano, accordion and percussion to a high standard. She has extensive experience in devised theatre as well as straight plays. Theatre includes “The Jungle Book” (Watermill Theatre, Newbury), “Underground” (dreamthinkspeak / BITE at the Barbican), “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Southwark Playhouse), “A Few Little Drops” (Volcano Theatre), “Princess and the Pea” (Polka Theatre), “Jigokuhen” by Mishima (Oval House), “Sea of Silence” (Quicksilver Theatre), “AJAX”, “Suppliants” and “Blue Beards Castle”. Film and TV include “Silent Witness”, “Spirit Warriors” (BBC), “The Last Enemy” (BBC Films), “Japanorama” (BBC), “Tokyo Jim”, ”Theatre of Souls” and “You’re Welcome”. Movement Director/Coach/Choreographer work includes “Dido and Aeneas”, Temple Middle Hall (Temple Festival 2008), "Magic Flute" (New National Theatre Tokyo), “Madam Butterfly” (ENO) and “Illyria” (Theatre Royal Bath). Yuka's is also a playwright and her first English play “Lemon Elegy”, which was awarded an Arts Council England Grant directed by Tim Baker (Associate Director of Clwyd Theatr Cymru) was performed at the Jermyn Street Theatre. Yuka is also a senior acting teacher at the New National Theatre Tokyo.

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